‘Heated Rivalry’ Cast Speaks Out Against Toxic Fandom in Joint Statement
When Heated Rivalry premiered, it quickly became clear that the series had tapped into something special. What began as a beloved story within queer spaces rapidly grew into a much larger cultural moment, with audiences from all walks of life discovering the show and rallying behind its characters, romance, and emotional intensity. But as the fandom has expanded, so has the complexity of the conversation surrounding it.
When a show becomes so big so fast, fandom can be a powerful thing. At its best, it builds community, celebrates storytelling, and uplifts the artists who bring our favorite characters to life. But as the explosive success of Heated Rivalry has shown, fandom can also cross lines—and now members of the cast are publicly calling that out.
Today (Monday, March 9), co-stars Hudson Williams (Shane Hollander) and François Arnaud (Scott Hunter) took to their respective Instagram Stories to share a joint statement addressing the growing wave of toxic behavior circulating online within corners of the fandom.
The message was brief but unmistakably direct: “Don’t call yourself a fan if you share racist/homophobic/biphobic/misogynist/ageist/ableist/parasocial/bigoted comments of any kind. None of us need your hateful ‘love.’ We all respect and support and love each other and are on the same side. If you can’t accept that gtfoh.”
The message comes after months of escalating discourse around the show and its cast across social media platforms, and in many ways, it’s a statement that feels long overdue for those who have been observing the online conversation surrounding the series.
Since Heated Rivalry premiered and quickly exploded into a global hit, several members of the cast have been subjected to harassment online. Hudson Williams, one of the series’ co-leads, has been subjected to particularly disturbing behavior. Over the past few months, social media accounts have surfaced seemingly dedicated to mocking his appearance, targeting his ethnicity, and spreading cruel commentary. It’s the kind of targeted harassment that unfortunately continues to plague online spaces, particularly when actors of color are involved.
Unfortunately, Williams hasn’t been the only cast member dealing with harmful commentary. Other members of the cast have also experienced waves of speculation, harassment, and invasive discourse online, including his co-lead Connor Storrie (Ilya Rozanov) and Arnaud himself. At times, media outlets and fans alike have rushed to defend individual actors—often without fully acknowledging the broader pattern of harassment affecting multiple members of the same ensemble.
The joint statement from Williams and Arnaud appears to be a clear attempt to draw a boundary, not just for themselves, but for the entire cast. Their message centers not on one individual, but on the collective: a group of artists who support each other and refuse to accept bigotry masquerading as fandom.
Since the message was shared, several members of the Heated Rivalry cast and crew have amplified it. Showrunner and creator Jacob Tierney reshared the statement, as did multiple cast members, and even the author of the books herself.
Professional hockey player Harrison Browne, who played Ilya’s teammate in the series, also spoke about the transphobic backlash he experienced when his casting in the series was first announced, adding important context to the broader conversation about the treatment of marginalized performers in online fandom spaces.
In a reply to a fan on Threads, Williams later shared that the idea for the statement originated with Arnaud and that he helped write it. Williams also noted that he personally avoids reading comment sections, which meant he wasn’t fully aware of the extent of some of the online behavior until it was brought to his attention.
For us as a queer publication with a predominantly POC staff, this moment feels like an important opportunity for reflection.
Part of what made Heated Rivalry resonate so deeply at first was how strongly it connected with LGBTQ+ audiences. Queer viewers saw themselves reflected in the story, in the romance, and in the emotional stakes of the series. That sense of representation is powerful, and it’s something our community has fought hard to see on screen.
But the show’s massive success has also pushed it beyond those original spaces. The fandom now includes people from countless different backgrounds, communities, and perspectives. That kind of reach is something many queer creators dream of—it means the story is resonating far beyond the audiences that historically had to seek these narratives out.
However, a broader audience means a broader range of behaviors showing up in fandom spaces. The sense of ownership some fans feel over stories and the people who tell them can quickly turn harmful when boundaries disappear. And when toxic discourse emerges online, it often follows patterns many of us recognize all too well.
Actors of color become targets for ridicule about their appearance or identity. Trans performers face immediate waves of transphobia simply for existing in a project. And marginalized voices frequently receive levels of hostility that others in the same space simply don’t experience in the same way.
These dynamics aren’t unique to Heated Rivalry. They’re patterns that appear again and again across fandom culture, particularly when a show grows beyond its original community and enters the broader mainstream. But it’s important to remember that speculation, invasive commentary, and harassment don’t strengthen a fandom; they fracture it.
And that’s why the cast’s statement matters.
It’s a reminder that fandom should never come at the expense of the people behind the stories we love. Passionate engagement with a show is one thing, but racism, homophobia, biphobia, misogyny, transphobia, ableism, and harassment have no place in the conversation. Loving a series doesn’t give anyone ownership over the actors who bring it to life.
If anything, the success of Heated Rivalry should be a celebration: a queer story reaching audiences far and wide, proving that LGBTQ+ narratives resonate across cultures and communities. But moments like this also remind us that growth comes with responsibility, both for fans and for the spaces where fandom conversations happen.
Because if we truly love queer storytelling—and the artists who make it possible—then the responsibility falls on all of us to create spaces where that love actually looks like support. That means calling out hateful comments when we see them, listening when marginalized voices speak about their experiences, and remembering that the people on our screens are, first and foremost, human beings.
The Heated Rivalry cast has made it clear where they stand. They support each other, and they expect the same respect from the audiences who claim to love the show. The question now is whether the community surrounding it is willing to listen.
Because if there’s one thing worth remembering and learning from all this, it’s this: the best fandoms aren’t defined by how loudly they love something, but by how respectfully they treat the people who made them love it in the first place.
Season 1 of Heated Rivalry is available to stream on Crave (Canada), HBO Max (U.S. & Other Regions), Sky (New Zealand, UK), and Movistar Plus+ (Spain). Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Image via The Cobrasnake. Photo by Mark Hunter.
